Tttnirp



(N9 Model.)

2 ,t gm* e D 8 e E 1 .qu B l w n 2 u L m F we4 S R d m w T.. Y w ,GS. ...b Emma nn-BHP, KWG CDA URM e TDG .F..N. umm SMM AP. H G E M G M 6 T oo n m 4 R.. ,nw .c W N wAsHmuTcn n c (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. D. TUCKER'. Y REGISTERING MBGHANI FOR DOUBILNISFYLINDBR FLAT BED PRI NG MAGE y A No. 479,860. Patented Aug. 2, 1892l 17m-Mar 'me mums PsYsns co., Mofo-uwe., wlsnmavon, o. c.

- UNITED STATES PATENTOFEICE.

STEPHEN D. TUCKER, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

REGISTERING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE-CYLINDER FLAT-BED PRINTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 479,860, dated August 2, 1892. Application filed February 2, 1892. Serial No. 420,133. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN D. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Registering Mechanism for Double-CylinderFlat-Bed Printing-Machines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

In double-cylinder machines, in which companion impression-cylinders running close together co-operate with a reciprocating flatbed carrying one or two printing-forms and in which the cylinders are driven by gearing from a pinion on the bed-driving shaft and are provided with mechanisms for raising and lowering them, it has been found to be desirable to provide each of the cylinders with a registering toothed segment co-operatin g with a bed-rack, so as to accomplish register between those portions. of the impression-cylinder which carry the sheet and the form which is to print upon it, and thus produce a printed sheet with the impressions thereon properly related to its surface and to each other. In a perfecting-machine, wherein a sheet printed upon one side while carried by one impression-cylinder is transferred from that cylinder to the companion impression-cylinder to be printed upon its opposite side while carried thereon, thus being perfected While passing once through the machine, it is essential that this register shall be preserved during such transference; and it is the primary object of this invention to provide the impression-cylinders of such machines with registering toothed segments, which shall mesh together during the period of such transference of the sheet, and thus insure the preservation of its position of register during that operation, which segments shall not come into destructive contact with each other while passing the point where said cylinders nearly meet. When one of said cylinders is raised, their teeth are presented opposite to each other and no transference of the sheet is to be made. Another object attained, however, by this invention by providing each impression-cylinder with a registering toothed segment having full teeth for co-operation with a full-toothed registering rack upon the typethe sheet-bearing surfaces upon the impression-cylinders are correctly related to and move in exact unison with the type-forms, and thus effect a perfect registration.

The invention primarily consists in providing one of the impression-cylinders with a registering toothed segment fixed thereon and the companion impression-cylinder with a registering toothed segment so attached thereto as to be capable of a movement of adjustment performed at such times as will cause its withdrawal from the path of travel of the fixed toothed segment when those parts of the cylinders carrying the toothed segments are passing each other, and the cylinders are so related as to bring the teeth of the two segments opposite each other and yet cause its protrusion at appropriate times to enable it to intel-mesh with the companion registering toothed segment during the time when the sheet is being transferred from one cylinder to the other, thus maintaining a perfect position of register-of the once-printed sheet in its delivery to the second cylinder for printing upon its then blank surface.

The invention also includes such a construction and relation of the toothed segments and the means for withdrawing and protruding one of them as to admit of their also engaging and co-operating with registering racks upon the bed at appropriate times, whereby correct register with the forms on the bed is secured. The invention further comprehends certain combinations of mechanisms fully hereinafter explained and claimed.

A machine practically embodying this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in whicl1- Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a printing-machine as is necessary to the illustration of the present improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional elevation. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are side elevations showing the impression-cylinders and type-bed and their respective parts in various positions of co-operation.

A double-cylinder reciprocating-type-bed machine is here shown vand one of that type lOO known as a perfecting-machine. In such there are not only two impression-cylinders 21 22, each provided with grippers, as 1 2, but a reciprocating type-bed 23, adapted to carry two forms 24 25, one 24 for co-operation with one cylinder, as 21, in printing a sheet upon one side, and another 25 for co-operation with the other cylinder 22 in printing said sheet upon the other side. These cylinders each carry at one end a toothed wheel, as 3l 32, not geared together, but gearing,respectively, with toothed wheels, as 33 34, the latter Wheels meshing with each other and the wheel 34 with a pinion 35, fast on the oscillating shaft 36, which at its other end carries the driving-pinion, that co-operates with the beddriving rack 37 in a'oomrnon manner.

Inking mechanisms common in construction are provided at the outer sides of theimpression-cylinders and are arranged in position to properly ink the forms on the bed as they pass beneath them. A feed-board 40 is provided, from which the sheets are fed to the primary impression-cylinder, and any suitable mechanism for delivering the perfected sheets from the last impression-cylinder will be provided.

NVhen the sheet is being printed upon one side by the primary impression-cylinder, the companion cylinder is raised out of printing relation to the bed, as in Figs. 1 and 3, and when this sheet is being printed upon its opposite side by the other cylinder the firstnamed cylinder is likewise raised out of while the other is in printing position, as in Figs. 4 and 5. Thus whenever a fornuis passing inoperatively beneath one of the cylinders that cylinder is automatically raised out of printing position by the toggles and springs illustrated or by any other common meansas, for instance, that shown in Patent No. 5,200, dated July 24, 1847.

The raising and lowering of the cylinders, as herein illustrated, is effected as follows: The journal-boxes of the cylinders are arranged to slide in vertical guides and are each provided with pairs of vertical rods, through which said cylinders are raised out of or depressed into printing position by the action of toggles, as 15 16 and 17 18, both sets of which rock in the same directions to admit of the raisingor cause the depression of the cylinders. These rods and their actuating devices at one side of the machine are alone shown. The rods, as 41 42, of the cylinder 21 extend through a bearing-block 60 and are provided with adj listing-nuts 61, whereby they are seated upon springs, as 26, and with adjusting-nuts 62, which press against the block 60, and the rods, as 43 44, of the cylinder 22, extend through a bearingblock 70, carrying nuts 71, whereby they are seated upon springs, as 27, and have nuts 72, which press against the block 70. The action of these springs is t0 raise the cylinders out of printing relation to the form on the passing type-bed when the toggles are rocked out of alignment, as the toggles 17 18 are shown to be in Fig. 1. When, however, the toggles are straightened, as the toggles 15 1G are shown to be, the cylinder they control will be drawn down into printing relation with the form, as cylinder 21 is shown to be in Fig. 1. The shafts 28 29, to which the members 1,6 18 of these toggles are secured, are journaled in said bearing-blocks 60 70 and are suitably rocked to effect these movements of the cylinder by means of rock-arms, as 19 20, and connecting-rods, as 45 46, by grooved cams, as 47 48, on the shaft 13, in which cams ytravel bowls or studs fixed to said rods. This raising and lowering of either of the cylinders may also be accomplished at any suitable time by foot-levers, as is common.'

To insure perfect unison of movement between the sheet-carrying surfaces of the imv pression-cylinders during the transferring of the sheet from one cylinder to the other, as well as of the bed at the beginning and during a sufficient part of each printing operation, so as to secure accurate register, the cylinders 21 22 are provided with registering toothed segments 10 11, that mesh with each other during the period of transferring the sheet from cylinder to cylinder, and which segments for a portion of the co-operative period of the cyly inders and form also mesh with registering racks 12 14, carried by the bed 23, as in Figs. 1 and 3. In order that the sheet printedupon one side may be transferred from one to the other cylinder in perfect register for a second printing, the registering toothed segments must intermesh while passing a com mon point, as in Fig. 3', during that revolution of the cylinders when such transference is accomplished; but since these registering toothed segments normally project beyond the line of the peripherai surface of the cylinders their teeth will at times in these machines, where the two cylinders are made to rise and fall, come into Contact and either be destroyed or injure the machine unless provision is made to avoid such collision. To prevent this and yet obtain the necessary protrusion for perfect co-operation of the toothed segments during the transferring of the sheet from one cylinder to the other, as in Fig. 3, and with the rack on the bed, as in Figs. 1 and 4, to secure register in printing, one of these registering toothed segmentssay lO-is arranged to slide radially in suitable bearings, so as to be withdrawn when the registering segmentracks pass a common point with their teeth opposite each other, as the cylinders rotate when sheet transference is not to be made, as in Fig. 5, and yet be so positioned at other times as not only to engage each other when a sheet is to be transferred from one cylinder to the other, as in Fig. 3, but each engage with the bed-rack, as in Figs. 1 and 4, when their carrying-cylinder is to perform the printing operation. This movement of the registering segment 10 is accomplished as follows:

The segment is provided with a guide or- IOO IIO

shank 3, that slides in ways 4 5, fixed to the cylinder-head, and from which guide 3 there projects a stud 6, that travels in a grooved cam 7. This cam 7 is hung so as to rock on the shaft of cylinder 21, and it is oscillated into proper position to cause the protrusion or withdrawal of the segment-rack'lO by means of a rod 9, that is eccentrically attached thereto and given timely movements through a rock-arm 49 and connecting-rod 50 bya rockarm 8, attached to the shaft 28 of the member 16 of the toggles 15 16, by which the cylinder 21 is raised and lowered. The low and high parts of the cam 7 are thus by partial ro-' tation brought into positions at proper times to cause the registering segment 10 to be withdrawn and protruded, as is required.V This segment 10 is thus made a moving segment, and any means may be adopted to operate it and cause its withdrawal and protrusion to enable it to perform its functions.

A sheet, either from the feed-board 40 or the end of a web suitably presented to them, is seized by the grippers l on the cylinder 21 and carried around upon its surface and into contact with the form 24 on the bed 23, thus receiving an impression upon one of its surfaces, asin Fig. 1. During this printing revolution of the cylinder 2l its toothed segment 10 will be protruded so as to mesh with the rack 12, as in Fig. 1, and thus secure printing-register, at which time the cylinder 22 will be raised out of printing position to permit the forms to pass beneath it without contact and the rack 14 on the bed will be out of position for engagement with the segment 11. When, however, the meeting-point of the two cylinders is approached, (see Fig. 3,) this toothed segment 10, still protruded,wil1 mesh with the toothed segment 11, and thus secure the transfer of the sheet from one to the other cylinder in true register as the grippers 1 of the cylinder 21 are opened to release this sheet and deliver it to the grippers 2 of the cylinder 22,which latter grippers, having been opened to receive it, are now closed to seize and carry it around upon the cylinder 22 and into contact with the form 25 on the bed 23, as in Figs. 4 and 5, thus imparting an impression to its opposite surface, which perfected sheet is released by the grippers 2 at a suitable Vpoint to be directed by tapes or other means to or out over and down before a flyframe for delivery. During the second or printing revolution of the cylinder 22, atgwhich time its toothed segment 11 meshes with the rack 14 to secure printing register and the cylinder 22 is in its lowest or printing position,while the cylinder 21 is raised, so that its co-operating form may pass beneath it without being in printing contact with it, and the rack 12 is out of position of engagement with the rack l0, it follows that the teeth of the toothed segments 10 11 will in passing a common point be directly opposite to each other, as in Fig. 5, and in such relation as to cause injury to them or to the machine if they are 'each other.

protruded so as to come into contact with On this revolution of the cylin-v der 21, therefore, the cam 7 is rocked so that its low part will cause the toothed segment 1() to be withdrawn, thus'v enabling the toothed segments to pass at this common point without contact with 'each other. As the toothed segment 10 is withdrawn by connections that operate concertedly with the mechanism that lifts the cylinder 21,-it follows that whenever this cylinder is raised out of printing position the said segment 10 will be withdrawn and so remain while it is passing the segment 1l, and hence that the two segments 10 11 cannot come into collision no matter what the position of the other cylinder may be.

The bed-rack is shown asin two parts 12 14, whereby each may be independently adjustable with respect to its co-operating registering segment. ln the arrangement shown these bed-racks are at the adjacent ends of the two forms; but if the impression-cylinders turn in the opposite direction from that shown, thus necessitating the feeding of the sheets to the inside of the receiving impression-cylinder, then these bed-racks would be placed at the outer endsof the forms on the bed.

This improvement is t0 be understood as equally applicable to a like press when provided Wit-h means for feeding sheets to each of its cylinders. Y

What I claim isj 1. The combination, with'companion impression cylinders, of a fixed registering IOO toothedl segment carried by one cylinder, a

movable registering toothed segment carried by the other cylinder, and means for protruding and withdrawing the latter toothed segment, substantially as described. I

2. The combination, with two companion impression -cylinders, one carrying a fixed registering toothed segment and the other carrying a movable registering toothed segment, of the cam 7 and means for automatically adjusting the same to cause the timely movements of said movable toothed segment, substantially as described. v

3. The combinatiom'with two impressioncylinders and a reciprocating type-bed, of the fixed registering toothed segment upon one cylinder, the moving registering toothed segment upon the other cylinder, and coacting bed-racks, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with twoimpressioncylinders driven by independent gearing from the bed driving shaft and provided with means for raising and lowering them, of registering toothed segments, one of which is movable and made to interm'esh with the companion toothed segment during the operation of transferring the sheet from one cylinder to the other, substantially as .described.

5. The combination, with two impressioncylinders, each driven by an independent train from the driving-shaft, providedwith IIO means for raising it out of printing relation In testimony whereof I have hereunto set to the type-bed and carrying 2t registering my hand in the presence of two subscribing ro toothed segment, of at type-bed and register- Witnesses. ing mok thereon and means for Withdrawing and protruding one of said registering toothed segments for (3o-operation with each fitnessesz other and with the bed-rack, substantially as FRANK BLAUVELT, described. WM. F. MORGAN.

STEPHEN D. TUCKER. 

